System and Method for Online Automobile Insurance Quoting

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure describes novel systems and methods for a customer to receive information and/or purchase a product or service while interacting with multiple vendors through a single contact/agency. The customer is able to communicate with the agency through a variety of communication modes. The agency adapts the customer&#39;s input as necessary to meet the requirements of the vendors and the agency returns information to the customer so that the customer can conveniently interact with the multiple vendors. The systems and methods allow for the customer to stop and restart the process at various points using any of the communication modes. The agency has the ability to present the customer with prospecting, sales, service, upgrades, cross-sells, and other pre- and post-purchase services at the single point-of-contact agency.

RELATED AND CO-PENDING APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of and claims priority to co-pendingapplication entitled “System and Method for Online Automobile InsuranceQuoting”, Ser. No. 13/672,798 filed 9 Nov. 2012, which (1) is acontinuation-in-part of and claims priority to the application entitled“System and Method for Online Agency”, Ser. No. 13/468,249 filed 10 May2012, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,793,147, and (2) also claims priority to theprovisional application entitled “System and Method for OnlineAutomobile Insurance Quoting System”, Ser. No. 61/557,750 filed 9 Nov.2011. The entirety of each of the above applications is herebyincorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

Electronic commerce has made it easier for a consumer to obtaininformation and/or make a purchase of a product or service from anonline seller. However, if the customer desires to compare theproducts/services offered by different sellers, the customer usuallymust interface with each seller's website one at a time in order todetermine which seller's product/service is the one best suited to thecustomer's needs. At each interface, the customer must enterinformation, data, preferences, and the like which can be tedious andtime consuming Additionally, each of the sellers may have certainrestrictions or limitations on their products/services such that thecustomer must alter his or her criteria for each seller thus making theultimate comparison between the various products/services overlycomplicated. Furthermore, there is generally only one mode ofcommunication available to the customer for any particular seller, e.g.,online, telephonic, in person, etc. thus making the process inconvenientand time-consuming as the customer must finish the interaction once itis begun or risk having to restart the interaction from the beginning.

Another problem faced by the consumer is that pre-purchase andafter-purchase resources of typical online sellers are offered in adisjoint manner thereby requiring the consumer to maintain separatecontact points for such things as cross-sell benefits and opportunities,follow-up servicing for the purchased product/service, and potentialfuture upgrades or downgrades as the consumer may desire. Since these,and other, pre-purchase and post-purchase services are usually animportant consideration to a consumer when deciding to make a purchase,the inability to adequately take these services into account due to thearrangement of typical online businesses places a serious burden on theconsumer. The resulting inefficiencies of making a purchase usuallyworks to the detriment of the consumer as he or she, being daunted bythe effort necessary to adequately vet a purchase, must make a decisionbased on incomplete, or perhaps even misleading, information.

The present disclosure describes novel systems and methods forovercoming the above-mentioned problems and shortcomings faced by amodern consumer. The present disclosure describes novel systems andmethods for a customer to receive information and/or purchase a productor service while interacting with multiple vendors through a singlecontact/agency. The customer is able to communicate with the agency,which is typically an online agency, through a variety of communicationmodes. As used herein, an “online agency” includes a system and methodstherefor which can communicate with both customers and vendors via anyelectronic (wired and/or wireless) communication mode including, but notlimited to, online channels (e.g., from desktop computers, laptopcomputers, tablet computers, mobile telephones, text messaging, instantmessaging, etc.), offline channels, telephonic channels (wired orwireless), or combinations thereof The online agency adapts thecustomer's input as necessary to meet the requirements of the vendorsand the online agency returns information to the customer so that thecustomer can conveniently interact with the multiple vendors. The onlineagency may also create packages from the information received from thevendors and present these packages to the customer to ease thecustomer's burden of reviewing an abundance of information. The systemsand methods allow for the customer to stop and restart the process atvarious points using various communication modes. The online agency hasthe ability to present the customer with prospecting, sales, service,upgrades, cross-sells, up-sells, and other pre- and post-purchaseservices at the single point-of-contact agency. Thus, the efficiency ofthe information-gathering evolution for the consumer is greatlyincreased and the consumer is conveniently presented with relevantinformation without having to individually perform tediousinformation-gathering for each of the relevant prospective sellers.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present disclosure to provide asystem for providing information to a customer, from one or morepredetermined sellers via one intermediary (or “online”) agency, forchoosing a product. The system includes a first module for receivingfrom a customer a first set of information regarding a product, such as,but not limited to, a customer request for an online quote for a productor service and/or a customer request to purchase online the product orservice, customer-specific information and requirements, anidentification of the customer, an online banking identification of thecustomer, if such identification exists, etc. The system also includes asecond module, which is operatively connected to the first module, forproviding a second set of information to the customer based on thereceived first set of information. The second set of information maycontain more specific information regarding the product/service desiredby the customer. As a non-limiting example, if the customer isinterested in purchasing a car insurance policy, the second set ofinformation may contain requests such as the type and number of vehiclesowned by the customer, whether the customer rents or owns his or herhome, etc. In an embodiment, the second set of information includesinformation required by at least one of the one or more predeterminedsellers. In a further embodiment, the second set of information includesinformation unique to one of the one or more predetermined sellers. As anon-limiting example, one insurance seller may have a limit on thenumber of incidents a person may have, above which that insurance sellermay not sell insurance to that person, whereas another insurance sellermay have a different limit on the number of incidents. As anothernon-limiting example, one insurance seller may have a limit on thenumber of drivers per insurance policy and/or the number of vehicles perpolicy, whereas another insurance seller may have different limits forone or both of drivers per policy and vehicles per policy. As yetanother non-limiting example, one insurance seller may require eitherthe full or partial Vehicle Identification Number (“VIN”) early in theprocessing of an insurance selling transaction while another insuranceseller may not require the full or partial VIN until later in theselling transaction. One of skill in the art will readily understandthat other differences between the predetermined sellers need to betaken into account and managed by the online agency in order to simplifythe customer's choice of the desired product or service. The system alsoincludes a third module, which is operatively connected to the firstmodule, for receiving and processing first customer data regarding thedesired product. Continuing with the non-limiting car insurance example,the first customer data typically contains information specific to thedesired car insurance, such as the type and amount of car insurancecoverage desired, and may contain information such as a desireddeductible limit and/or a desired maximum premium payment. This “raw”information received from the customer may need to be processed by theonline agency so that the various predetermined insurance agencies withwhom the online agency will be interfacing will be able to returninsurance information for the customer that is relevant to thecustomer's request. The system also includes a fourth module, which isoperatively connected to the third module and to the one or morepredetermined product providers, where the fourth module sends firstprocessed customer data to the one or more product providers andreceives first product data from the one or more product providers inresponse to the first processed customer data. Still continuing with thenon-limiting insurance example, the first product data typicallycontains insurance quote information which is based on the firstprocessed customer data.

In another non-limiting example, the first customer data may containinformation for servicing an existing car insurance policy, such asadding a new vehicle, adding a new driver, renewing a policy, etc. This“raw” information, just like in the example above, may need to beprocessed by the online agency so the one or more selected predeterminedinsurance agencies with whom the online agency will be interfacing willbe able to return the proper information for the customer that isrelevant to the customer's request. Likewise, the information that isreturned to the online agency from the insurance agency may need to beprocessed by the online agency so that the proper information may besent to the customer in a format with which the customer is familiarand/or desires.

Additionally, the third module sends the first product data to thecustomer and receives a product choice from the customer in response tothe first product data. The third module also receives and processessecond customer data regarding the customer's product choice. As anon-limiting example, the second customer data may include revisions tothe customer's original insurance coverage requests made in the firstcustomer data, such as a change in the type and/or amount of coverage,desired deductible limit, and/or a desired maximum premium payment. Thesecond customer data typically, but not necessarily, is in response tothe information in the first product data. The fourth module also sendsthe second processed customer data to one of the product providersassociated with the customer's product choice, and receives from the oneproduct provider second product data in response to the second processedcustomer data. The third module also processes the second product dataand sends the second product data to the customer.

Optionally, the third module receives from the customer an acceptance ofthe second product data where the acceptance includes customer paymentinformation; the fourth module sends to the one product provider anindication of receipt of the customer payment information; and the thirdmodule sends to the customer an indication of purchase of the productchoice, such as, but not limited to, an ID card.

It is a further object of the present disclosure to provide a system forproviding information to a customer, from one or more predeterminedsellers via one intermediary (or “online”) agency, for choosing aproduct. The system includes a first module for receiving from acustomer a first set of information regarding a product, such as, butnot limited to, a customer request for an online quote for a product orservice including customer-specific information and requirements, anidentification of the customer, an online banking identification of thecustomer, if such identification exists, etc. The system also includes asecond module, which is operatively connected to the first module, forproviding a second set of information to the customer based on thereceived first set of information. The second set of information maycontain more specific information regarding the product/service desiredby the customer. As a non-limiting example, if the customer isinterested in purchasing a car insurance policy, the second set ofinformation may contain requests such as the type and number of vehiclesowned by the customer, whether the customer rents or owns his or herhome, etc. The system also includes a third module, which is operativelyconnected to the first module, for receiving, via the first module,first customer data regarding the desired product and for processing thefirst customer data. Continuing with the non-limiting car insuranceexample, the first customer data typically contains information specificto the desired car insurance, such as the type and amount of carinsurance coverage desired, and may contain information such as adesired deductible limit and/or a desired maximum premium payment. This“raw” information received from the customer may need to be processed bythe online agency so that the various predetermined insurance agencieswith whom the online agency will be interfacing will be able to returninsurance information for the customer that is relevant to thecustomer's request. The system also includes a fourth module, which isoperatively connected to the third module and to the one or morepredetermined product providers, where the fourth module sends firstprocessed customer data to the one or more product providers andreceives first product data from the one or more product providers inresponse to the first processed customer data. Still continuing with thenon-limiting insurance example, the first product data typicallycontains insurance quote information which is based on the firstprocessed customer data.

In another non-limiting example, the first customer data may containinformation for servicing an existing car insurance policy, such asadding a new vehicle, adding a new driver, renewing a policy, etc. This“raw” information, just like in the example above, may need to beprocessed by the online agency so the one or more selected predeterminedinsurance agencies with whom the online agency will be interfacing willbe able to return the proper information for the customer that isrelevant to the customer's request. Likewise, the information that isreturned to the online agency from the insurance agency may need to beprocessed by the online agency so that the proper information may besent to the customer in a format with which the customer is familiarand/or desires.

Additionally, the third module sends the first product data to thecustomer, via the first module, and receives a product choice from thecustomer, via the first module, in response to the first product data.The third module also receives, via the first module, second customerdata regarding the customer's product choice and processes, ifnecessary, the second customer data. The fourth module also sends thesecond processed customer data to one of the product providersassociated with the customer's product choice, and receives from the oneproduct provider second product data in response to the second processedcustomer data. The third module also processes the second product dataand sends the second product data to the customer via the first module.

Optionally, the third module receives from the customer, via the firstmodule, an acceptance of the second product data where the acceptanceincludes customer payment information; the fourth module sends to theone product provider an indication of receipt of the customer paymentinformation; and the third module sends to the customer, via the firstmodule, an indication of purchase of the product choice, such as, butnot limited to, an ID card.

It is still a further object of the present disclosure to provideinformation from a business to a customer for assisting the customer inchoosing a product. The method includes: receiving from a customer afirst set of information regarding a product, where the first set ofinformation is received via a first computer interface communicatingwith the customer over a computer network; providing a second set ofinformation to the customer via said first computer interface based onthe received first set of information; receiving first customer dataregarding said product; processing, using a microprocessor, the firstcustomer data; sending the processed first customer data to one or moreproduct providers via a second computer interface; receiving, via saidsecond computer interface, a reply from at least one of the one or moreproduct providers in response to the processed first customer data;determining if the reply includes first product data and if so, sending,via said first computer interface, the first product data to saidcustomer; receiving, via said first computer interface, a product choiceand second customer data regarding the product choice from the customerin response to said first product data; processing, using saidmicroprocessor, the second customer data; sending, via said secondcomputer interface, the processed second customer data to one of theproduct providers associated with the product choice and for receivingfrom the one product provider, via the second computer interface, secondproduct data in response to the processed second customer data;processing, using said microprocessor, the second product data; andsending the processed second data, via said first computer interface, tothe customer.

Additionally, further embodiments of the present subject matter include:receiving from the customer an acceptance of the second product dataincluding customer payment information; sending to the one productprovider an indication of receipt of the customer payment information;and sending to the customer an indication of purchase of the productchoice.

As with the previous example, the first customer data may containinformation for servicing an existing car insurance policy, such asadding a new vehicle, adding a new driver, renewing a policy, etc. This“raw” information, just like in the example above, may need to beprocessed by the online agency so the one or more selected predeterminedinsurance agencies with whom the online agency will be interfacing willbe able to return the proper information for the customer that isrelevant to the customer's request. Likewise, the information that isreturned to the online agency from the insurance agency may need to beprocessed by the online agency so that the proper information may besent to the customer in a format with which the customer is familiarand/or desires.

In another embodiment of the present subject matter, if thedetermination of whether the reply includes first product data resultsin finding that the reply does not contain first product data, thensending to the customer a notification that no product data wasreceived; receiving and processing third customer data regarding saidproduct and sending the processed third customer data to the one or moreproduct providers; and receiving first product data from the one or moreproviders. Alternatively, if the determination of whether the replyincludes first product data results in finding that the reply does notcontain first product data, then receiving at a customer contact salescenter a telephone call from the customer; recommending to the customerchanges to the first customer data; and processing the first customerdata and providing the customer with first product data.

Still other embodiments of the present subject matter further includesetting up an account for the customer with the business; and providingproduct information to the customer based on the product choice.

Further embodiments of the present subject matter further includedetermining if the customer is an online client of the business;determining a status of the customer if the customer is not a currentonline client of the business or if said first set of information is notverified by the business, including determining if the customer is anoffline client of the business and if so, presenting a first content tothe customer, otherwise flagging the customer as a pending customer; andestablishing for the customer credentials which allow the customer tosave a third set of information so that the customer may later resumechoosing a product via an online channel, an offline channel, atelephonic channel, and combinations thereof

Additionally, another embodiment of the present subject matter providesfor a method for providing information from a predetermined plurality ofcompeting businesses to a customer for assisting the customer inchoosing a product from one of the competing businesses. Aspects of thisembodiment include:

receiving from a customer a first set of information regarding theproduct, wherein the first set of information is received via a firstcomputer interface communicating with the customer over a computernetwork;

determining, using a microprocessor, a second set of information basedat least in part on the received first set of information and on datarequired by at least one of the predetermined plural competingbusinesses;

providing, via said first computer interface, the second set ofinformation to the customer;

receiving, via said first computer interface, first customer dataregarding said product, wherein the first customer data is based atleast in part on the second set of information;

processing, using said microprocessor, the first customer data;

sending, via a second computer interface, the processed first customerdata to each of the plural businesses;

receiving, via said second computer interface, a reply from each of theplural businesses, wherein the replies are in response to the processedfirst customer data;

processing, using the microprocessor, the received replies wherein theprocessing includes organizing the replies into predetermined categoriesto thereby form a first product data;

sending, via said first computer interface, the first product data tosaid customer;

receiving, via said first computer interface, a product choice andsecond customer data regarding the product choice from the customer inresponse to said first product data, wherein the product chosen isassociated with a first business of the plural businesses;

processing, using said microprocessor, the product choice and the secondcustomer data to thereby form a processed second customer data;

sending, via said second computer interface, the processed secondcustomer data to the first business;

receiving from the first business, via the second computer interface,second product data in response to the processed second customer data;

processing, using said microprocessor, the second product data; and

sending the processed second data, via said first computer interface, tothe customer.

Yet another embodiment of the present subject matter provides for amethod for providing information from a predetermined plurality ofcompeting businesses to a customer for assisting the customer inchoosing a product from one of the competing businesses and/or obtainingone or more quotes for the product from one or more of the competingbusinesses. Aspects of this embodiment include:

receiving from a customer a first set of information regarding theproduct, wherein the first set of information is received via a firstcomputer interface communicating with the customer over a computernetwork;

determining, using a microprocessor, a second set of information basedat least in part on the received first set of information and on datarequired by at least one of the predetermined plural competingbusinesses;

providing, via said first computer interface, the second set ofinformation to the customer;

receiving, via said first computer interface, first customer dataregarding said product, wherein the first customer data is based atleast in part on the second set of information;

processing, using said microprocessor, the first customer data;

sending, via a second computer interface, the processed first customerdata to each of the plural businesses;

receiving, via said second computer interface, a reply from each of theplural businesses, wherein the replies are in response to the processedfirst customer data;

processing, using the microprocessor, the received replies wherein theprocessing includes organizing the replies into predetermined categoriesto thereby form a first product data;

determining from the first set of information, using the microprocessor,whether the intent of the customer is to purchase the product from oneof the plural businesses or whether the intent of the customer is toobtain a quote for the product from at least one of the plural business;

if the determination of the customer's intent is to obtain a quote forthe product, sending, via said first computer interface, the firstproduct data to said customer and then ending the procedure;

if the determination of the customer's intent is to purchase theproduct, sending, via said first computer interface, the first productdata to said customer;

receiving, via said first computer interface, a product choice andsecond customer data regarding the product choice from the customer inresponse to said first product data, wherein the product chosen isassociated with a first business of the plural businesses;

processing, using said microprocessor, the product choice and the secondcustomer data to thereby form a processed second customer data;

sending, via said second computer interface, the processed secondcustomer data to the first business;

receiving from the first business, via the second computer interface,second product data in response to the processed second customer data;

processing, using said microprocessor, the second product data; and

sending the processed second data, via said first computer interface, tothe customer.

The above advantages, as well as many other advantages, of the presentdisclosure will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art to whichthe disclosure pertains from a perusal of the claims, the appendeddrawings, and the following detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system for an online agency according toan embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a system for an online agency according toanother embodiment of the disclosure.

FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C are flow diagrams for a method for an online agencyaccording to embodiments of the disclosure.

FIGS. 4A, 4B, and 4C are flow diagrams for a method for an online agencyaccording to embodiments of the disclosure.

FIGS. 5A, 5B, 5C, and 5D are flow diagrams for a method for an onlineagency according to embodiments of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

With reference to the figures where like elements have been given likenumerical designations to facilitate an understanding of the presentsubject matter, various embodiments of a system and method for an onlineagency are described. While the below discussion may at times, forexemplary purposes, discuss the invention in terms of providinginformation for, purchasing, and servicing an insurance policy, those ofskill in the art will readily understand that the breadth and scope ofthe invention is not so limited and that the agency system and methodsdisclosed herein are applicable to a broad range of products andservices.

The present disclosure describes novel systems and methods for acustomer to receive information and/or purchase a product or servicewhile interacting, indirectly, with multiple providers through a singlecontact/agency. The customer is able to communicate with the agencythrough a variety of communication modes such as via an online channel,an offline channel, a telephonic channel, or combinations thereof. Thisflexibility allows the customer to interface with the agency in a mannerwhich meets the customer's needs for security as well as the customer'sparticular comfort level for communication. For example, the customermay start an insurance application using the online channel, go offline,then resume the application process using the telephonic channel. Dataentered by the customer during the online channel transaction is passedto the telephonic service channel personnel so that reentering of datais not required. Thus, the customer is not restricted to just onecommunication mode for a given process. The customer can use one, two,or more communication modes and switch between them as the customer seesfit. Therefore, the systems and methods described herein allow for thecustomer to stop and restart the process at various points using variouscommunication modes.

Another benefit of the present subject matter is that the agency withwhich the customer interacts shoulders the burden of interfacing withvarious predetermined providers. For example, if the customer isinterested in purchasing car insurance, and the agency has, say, threeproviders of car insurance from which the agency is prepared to requestquotes, the three insurance providers may have different requirementsfor how they receive information for their quotes. As a non-limitingexample, if a customer wants $250,000 of comprehensive insurance, andinsurance company A only provides comprehensive insurance at every$200,000 level, the agency will process the customer's request and sendto the insurance company an appropriate request that best meets thecustomer's needs. Another example may be based on the type of use forthe vehicle, the number of miles driven per day, the number of milesdriven annually, etc. Of course, as the number of variables increasesbetween what the customer requests and what the insurance company'srequirements are for a quote, the agency must process the customer'srequest in the most fitting way possible. These variables may include,but are not limited to, discounts offered by various vendors(anti-theft, airbag, anti-lock, multi-car, homeownership, good student,driver training, etc.) For example, the agency may round the customer'srequest up or down, or determine a “best fit” between different and/orcompeting requirements, or the agency may take advantage of otherinformation the agency has for the insurance company to provide thecustomer with a pertinent quote. All of this, and other, processing ofthe customer's input by the agency is possible since the agency hasresearched the requirements of the various providers so that thecustomer does not have to. Additionally, the agency may inform thecustomer that altering one or more parameters of the customer's requestmay allow the agency to return a better quote from the insurance companyproviders. Thus, according to the present subject matter, the agencyadapts the customer's input as necessary to meet the requirements of theproviders/vendors and the agency returns information to the customer sothat the customer can conveniently interact with the multiple vendors.

Various embodiments of the present subject matter allow for the agency'ssales, solutions, and service centers to cooperatively interact. Theagency has the ability to present the customer with prospecting, sales,service, upgrades, cross-sells (e.g., if the customer has purchased carinsurance, the agency can ask the customer if he or she would like toalso purchase homeowner's insurance, renter's insurance, etc., either asa package with the car insurance or from a different insurance provideraltogether; can also cross-sell financial products and services),up-sells (e.g., inform the customer of coverages they did not select,inform the customer if their insurance purchase is at, below, or abovethe norm for others who are similar to the customer), and other pre- andpost-purchase services at the single point-of-contact agency. As anexample, because of this interaction, the customer may, using the oneagency interface (with one or more communication channels), serviceexisting policies, purchase a new policy of the same or a different type(e.g., a second car insurance policy or a new homeowner's policy), add adriver or a vehicle to a car insurance policy, add a scheduled propertycoverage, request new insurance documentation, communicate with theagency through e-mail, chat, click to call, phone, etc. As a furtherexample, if the customer has purchased an insurance policy from aninsurance provider, via the agency, in order to renew the policy thecustomer need only interface with the agency rather than the insuranceprovider, as required by typical prior art systems. Thus, the agency canbuild brand loyalty throughout the entire purchase and servicingprocess.

Post processing services offered by the agency, usually handled by theagency's service sector, require an information flow similar to theinformation flow for sales services offered by the agency. With theservice portion, the agency would have an interface, system, and processflow akin to that described herein for the agency's sales interface,system and process flow. Just like the for the sales sector, the agencymust build the interfaces with each of the carriers/vendors the agencywill support in the service arena and these interface service callswould vary from carrier to carrier. As a non-limiting example, to add avehicle with carrier A the agency may have to send to carrier Ainformation regarding vehicle identification number (“VIN”), model year,and make and model; while for carrier B the agency may only need to senda VIN. A customer and/or client (as a non-limiting example, a client ofan online bank) can enter his/her user ID and password with the agencyover an appropriate communication channel, and perform any number ofactions, such as, but not limited to: a view policy summary, a viewpolicy document, make a payment, add/remove a vehicle (or otherproperty) from a policy, add/remove a driver, receive targeted crosssell offers, etc.

Thus, the efficiency of the information-gathering evolution for theconsumer is greatly increased and the consumer is conveniently presentedwith relevant information without having to individually perform tediousinformation-gathering for each of the relevant prospective sellers.

With attention directed towards FIG. 1, system 100 represents a blockdiagram of a system for an online agency according to an embodiment ofthe disclosure. Block 110 represents a customer who is interested inreceiving information for choosing a product or service and prefers toreceive pertinent information while avoiding unnecessary duplication ofeffort in connecting to various provides of the product/service oneafter another. The customer 110 initiates a process for receivinginformation for choosing a product, servicing a previously-purchasedproduct, choosing a cross-sell product, or any other like matter. Asstated above, while the discussion herein will be directed towardspurchasing an insurance policy, those of skill in the art will readilyunderstand that the present subject matter is not so limited. Thecustomer 110 transmits a quote request 119 to a first module 120 of theagency's system. The first module 120 may be a computer networkinterface program or similar hardware/software. The request may includeinformation for an insurance quote, may include an online ID that hasbeen assigned to the customer by the agency, and may include thecustomer's name, address, zip code, date of birth, and other personalidentifying information. The agency may be a financial institution andthe online ID may be an online banking ID. The agency's system may,through a second module 130, determine information about the customer,such as matching information. This matching information may be retrievedfrom the agency's internal databases, from external databases, or both,and may be used for authenticating or establishing credentials for thecustomer. This information may include, for example, personalinformation about the customer that the customer did not provide (e.g.,address, phone number, zip code, date of birth, driving history, movingviolations, arrests, etc.), other information about the customer (e.g.,whether the customer is a renter or a home owner, etc.), informationregarding the customer's vehicles (e.g., number of vehicles, make,model, year, etc.), and information about existing insurance coverage.Some of this information may be used to prefill fields in a form thatwill be sent to the customer. The second module 130 then provides to thecustomer, via the first module, a set of customer information 121 basedon the received request from the customer. This set of information sentto the customer typically includes information the agency discoveredfrom the search of its internal and external databases using the secondmodule.

The second module 130 includes a processor, operatively connected to theinternal and external databases, which is programmed to determine if thecustomer is an online client of the agency; determine a status of thecustomer if the customer is not a current online client of the agency orif the customer information 121 is not verified by the agency, includingdetermining if the customer is an offline client of the agency and ifso, presenting an online user ID and password to the customer, otherwiseflagging the customer as a pending customer; and establish for thecustomer credentials which allow the customer to save informationrelevant to the information gathering or purchasing process so that thecustomer may later resume gathering information and/or choosing aproduct via an online channel, an offline channel, a telephonic channel,or combinations thereof.

The agency's system further includes a third module 140 which isoperatively connected to the first module 120 and the customer 110. Thethird module receives coverage information/data 111 from the customerregarding the product the customer is inquiring about. For example, thecoverage information 111 includes particulars regarding the customer'sdesired insurance coverage, such as desired premium payments, desireddeductible amounts, desired insurance coverage amounts, etc. Typically,the coverage information 111 received from the customer is informationthat is readily known to the customer without requiring the customer tostop the online session with the agency in order to look up information.As discussed further below, once a carrier is selected, then thecustomer is queried for more detailed information, if necessary. Thethird module, after receiving the coverage information 111, processes,as necessary, the coverage information using a processor so that thevarious predetermined insurance providers/carriers 160 will returninformation that is useful to the customer. Since the various carriers160 may each have different requirements, in order to return to thecustomer a comprehensive, yet digestible, report of available coverages,the processing done by the third module is important. Additionally thisprocessing, sometimes referred to herein as filtering or a suitabilitycheck, is done by the third module 140 provides cost savings for thecarriers 160 since the agency can filter out those customers for whichthe agency knows a particular carrier will not return a quote. This costsavings for the carrier comes about since the carrier will not have toincur inquiry report costs. For example, some carriers 160 may not belicensed to operate in the state the customer is located, one carriermay have levels of coverage that are different than the levels ofcoverage offered by another carrier, some carriers may require collisioncoverage and others may not, some carriers may not return a quote basedon the customer's driving history, etc. Other examples ofprocessing/filtering include, but are not limited to:

State financial responsibility filing requirements

Customer's traffic violations (e.g., driving under the influence,driving while intoxicated, hit and run, vehicular homicide/manslaughter,etc.)

Customer's driver's license suspension or revocation

If the customer is currently insured

Customer's ratio of drivers to vehicles and vehicles to drivers

The processing done by the third module 140 may also includepreselecting insurance coverage packages so as to not inundate thecustomer with a plethora of choices. Thus, the agency may present to thecustomer preselected packages which the customer may choose not to takeand may instead choose to modify or customize the package. Thesepackages may be based on such parameters as the state the customer'svehicle is registered, the ownership status (e.g., comprehensive andcollision coverages are typically required for financed/leasedvehicles), violations/claims (e.g., carriers may choose not to offerhigher limits to customers with several violations), etc.

In addition, the processing done by the third module 140 may includeassembling the information/data received from the customer anddiscovered about the customer to fit the particular formats of each ofthe carriers 160. Typically, each carrier has a specific format whichdiffers, either slightly or greatly, from other carriers. While somedata mapping elements require input for all carriers, the assembly ofthe data is based on the carriers' needs. For example, most all carriersrequire basic information such as the customer's name, address, and zipcode, the format or sequence of this information may vary by carrier.For example, if the customer has a current policy with an insurancecompany named “X Mutual Insurance Company”, prospective new insurancecompany A may need that information in the format “X Mutual InsuranceCompany” while company B may need the information in the format “XMutual Ins. Co.” while company C may require just “X”.

The third module 140, after performing some or all of the processingoutlined above, sends the processed customer data/information to afourth module 150, with which it is operatively connected. The fourthmodule 150 sends the processed customer data/information 152 to thepredetermined carriers 160, with which it is operatively connected. Thefourth module 150 may include a computer network interface, as is knownin the art. The first through fourth modules, which comprise theagency's system, may be separate hardware and/or software modules or twoor more of the modules may be integrated into one overall computerhardware/software module.

The processed customer data/information 152 is received by one or moreof the predetermined carriers 160 where each carrier receives thecustomer data/information 152 in the specific format and with thespecific content required for that carrier. One or more of the carriers160 sends a first set of product data 163, which typically contains aninitial quote, to the fourth module 150 which passes the first set ofproduct data 163 to the third module 140.

In certain embodiments of the present subject matter, the third module140 processes the first set of product data 163 to thereby present theproduct data to the customer in a user-friendly display which containsonly that data which the agency decides is helpful to the customer. Forexample, the third module 140 may not present information from aparticular carrier if that carrier does not provide coverage that meetsthe customer's needs according to the information the agency hasreceived and/or gathered about the customer. The first set of productdata 163 is presented by the third module 140 to the customer 110 asquotes 144 from the carriers.

The third module 140 then typically receives from the customer 110 aselection 115 of one (typically) of the quotes presented. Based on theselected quote, the third module 140 sends to the customer 110 one ormore inquiries pertinent to the customer's situation with respect to thedesired insurance. These inquiries are specific to the carrier with whomthe customer's selection 115 is associated. The customer then providesto the third module a second set of customer data, which may contain thefollowing information. Naturally, if the customer is not satisfied withany of the presented quotes, the customer may modify their initialrequest and proceed as if the modified request was the customer'sinitial quote request 119 or the customer's coverage information/data111. Alternatively, the customer may, based on suggestions from theagency (e.g., a better deal is possible from one of the carriers,selected or otherwise, if the customer modifies their requestedcoverage), modify their coverage request 146 one or more times andproceed from that point in the process. Again, the third moduleprocesses, as necessary, the selected quote and/or information ormodified data from the customer (i.e., the second set of customer data).

The third module 140 then sends to the carrier associated with thecustomer's selected quote 115, via the fourth module 150, the processed(as necessary) second set of customer data 157. The selected carrierthen sends to the third module, via the fourth module, a second set ofproduct data which typically includes a revised quote 168 (which may bea final quote and may contain other pertinent insurance policyinformation for the selected carrier) based on the second set ofcustomer data 157. Again, the third module 140 processes, as necessary,the second set of product data and/or revised quote 168 from the carrierand sends the processed product data/revised quote/policy information tothe customer 110.

If the customer 110 so chooses, the customer may accept the final quotefrom the selected carrier and transmit indicia of that acceptance to thethird module 140. The indicia of acceptance may include paymentinformation. Alternatively, the indicia of acceptance may includesomething other than payment information at which point the third modulemay transmit payment requirements to the customer who would then send tothe third module payment information. The third module 140 would receivethe payment information and send to the selected carrier an indicationof receipt of the payment information 1510. The third module 150 wouldthen send to the customer 110 an indication of purchase 1411 of thechosen product which may include an ID card.

The agency is typically an online-capable business and in someembodiments, the online-capable business is a financial institution, abank, a subsidiary of a financial institution, a company affiliated witha financial institution, or combinations thereof.

Now considering FIG. 2, system 200 represents a block diagram of asystem for an online agency according to an embodiment of thedisclosure. System 200 differs from system 100 in that all informationexchanges between the agency and the customer are directed through thefirst module 120, which is described above. Thus, the third module 140does not communicate directly with the customer 110, rather the thirdmodule 140 communicates with the customer 110 via the first module 120.Otherwise, the operation of system 200 is as described above for system100 and that operation will not be repeated here. As with system 100, insystem 200 the first through fourth modules, which comprise the agency'ssystem which is an online-capable business, may be separate hardwareand/or software modules or two or more of the modules may be integratedinto one overall computer hardware/software module.

Considering now FIGS. 3A through 3C, flow diagrams are presented for amethod for an online agency including methods for providing informationfrom a business/agency, from one or more predetermined product/serviceproviders, to a customer for assisting the customer in choosing and/orpurchasing and/or servicing a product or service, according toembodiments of the disclosure. In FIG. 3A, at block 301 anonline-capable business receives a first set of information (asdescribed above) from the customer where the first set of information isreceived via a first computer interface communicating with the customerover a computer network. At block 305, the business provides a secondset of information (as described above) to the customer via the firstcomputer interface where the second set of information is based on thereceived first set of information. At block 306, the business receives afirst set of customer data regarding a product/service in which thecustomer is interested in receiving information about, purchasing, orservicing. At block 307, the business processes, as described above,using a microprocessor, the received first set of customer data asnecessary In an embodiment of the present subject matter, the processingof the first set of customer data includes performing a pre-approvaldetermination of the customer for a cross-sell product or service. Atblock 308 the business sends the first customer data and/or theprocessed first customer data to one or more product/service providersvia a second computer interface. At block 309, the business receives,via the second computer interface, a reply from at least one of the oneor more product providers in response to the first customer data and/orthe processed first customer data. At block 310, the business determinesif the received replies include first product data (as described above)and, if so, processes the received replies as necessary using amicroprocessor. At block 313, if the received replies do contain firstproduct data, the business then sends, via the first computer interface,the first product data and/or the processed first product data to thecustomer. At block 314, the business receives, via the first computerinterface, a product choice and a second set of customer data (asdescribed above) regarding the product choice from the customer inresponse to the first product data. At block 315, the businessprocesses, as necessary using a microprocessor, the second set ofcustomer data. At block 316, the business sends, via the second computerinterface, the second set of customer data and/or the processed secondset of customer data to the one product provider associated with theproduct choice. At block 317, the business receives, via the secondcomputer interface, a second set of product data (as described above)from the one product provider associated with the product choice, wherethe second set of product data is received in response to the second setof customer data and/or the processed second set of customer data. Atblock 318, the business processes, as necessary using a microprocessor,the second set of product data. At block 319, the business sends to thecustomer, via the first computer interface, the second set of productdata and/or the processed second set of product data. Thus, the businesshas provided to the customer information from one or moreproduct/service providers regarding a product/service that the customeris interested in where the information will assist the customer inchoosing a product/service desired by the customer. Additionally, theabove process can be used to provide information to the customerregarding a product/service that the customer is interested in where theinformation will assist the customer in choosing a follow-on service fora previously-purchased product/service.

Optionally, according to certain embodiments of the present subjectmatter, the process may continue at block 320 to FIG. 3C. In FIG. 3C, atblock 335, the business receives from the customer, via the firstcomputer interface, an acceptance of the second set of product datawhere the acceptance includes customer payment information for theaccepted product/service. At block 336, the business sends to theprovider of the accepted product/service, via the second computerinterface, an indication of the receipt of the customer paymentinformation from the customer. At block 337, the business sends to thecustomer, via the first computer interface, an indication of purchase ofthe product choice (as described above). In an embodiment of the presentsubject matter, the indication of purchase of the product choiceincludes an insurance identification card. Thus, the business hasprovided to the customer information from one or more product/serviceproviders from which the customer has purchased a product/servicedesired by the customer. Additionally, the above process can be used toprovide information to the customer from which the customer haspurchased a follow-on service for a previously-purchasedproduct/service.

Optionally, according to certain embodiments of the present subjectmatter, the process may continue at block 338 where the business sets upan account for the customer with the business and at block 339 where thebusiness provides, via the first computer interface, product informationto the customer based on the product choice. The product information mayinclude, but is not limited to, payment reminders, payment deadlines,renewal reminders, renewal deadlines, renewal information, cross-sellopportunities, up-sell opportunities, or combinations thereof. Incertain embodiments, the product choice includes a choice of service foran existing policy, such as, but not limited to, a view policy summary,a view policy document, make a payment, add/remove a vehicle (or otherproperty) from a policy, add/remove a driver, receive targeted crosssell offers, etc.

Referring now to FIGS. 3A and 3B, at block 310 of FIG. 3A, inembodiments of the present subject matter, if the business determinesthat the received replies do not include first product data, the processmay be continued at blocks 311 or 312, as described below. For oneembodiment of the present subject matter, the process continues at block311 to FIG. 3B. In FIG. 3B, at block 323, the business sends to thecustomer, via the first computer interface, a notification that no firstproduct data was received from the product providers. At block 324, thebusiness receives from the customer, via the first computer interface, athird set of customer data regarding the product/service desired by thecustomer. The business may process the third set of customer data, asnecessary using a microprocessor. At block 325, the business sends thethird set of customer data and/or the processed third set of customerdata to the product providers via the second computer interface. Atblock 326, the business receives, via the second computer interface, areply from at least one of the one or more product providers in responseto the first customer data and/or the processed first customer data,where the reply includes a first set of product data. In an embodimentof the present subject matter, the business may not receive a replywhich includes a first set of product data at which point the processmay jump back to block 310 (not shown for sake of clarity). Continuingwith the process in FIG. 3B where the reply from at least one of the oneor more product providers includes a first set of product data, at block321 the process continues as shown in FIG. 3A.

Referring again to block 310 of FIG. 3A, in embodiments of the presentsubject matter, if the business determines that the received replies donot include first product data, the process may be continued at block312, as described below. For one embodiment of the present subjectmatter, the process continues at block 312 to FIG. 3B. In FIG. 3B, atblock 327, the business receives, at a customer contact sales center ofthe business, a telephone call from the customer. At block 328, thebusiness, via the sales center, recommends to the customer changes tothe first set of customer data. The recommendation is based on thebusiness's knowledge of the requirements and other particulars(including, but not limited to insurance coverage levels, deductibleamounts, etc.) of the predetermined product/service providers. At block329, the customer determines if he/she would like to continue theprocess through an online channel (shown as continuing to block 323) orcontinue through an offline channel such as the telephone channel (shownas continuing to block 330).

If the customer opts to continue the process through an online channel,the process continues at block 323 to FIG. 3A. In FIG. 3A, at block 307,the business processes, as necessary using a microprocessor as describedabove, the modified first set of customer data from the recommendationsat block 328 in FIG. 3B. The process then continues on to block 308 inFIG. 3A, as described above. If the customer opts to continue theprocess through an offline channel, such as the telephone channel, theprocess continues at block 330 in FIG. 3B. At block 330, the salescenter processes the modified first set of customer data (themodifications as recommended at block 328), described above, and sendsthe modified first set of customer data to the one or moreproduct/service providers. At block 331, the sales center receives areply from at least one of the one or more product/service providers inresponse to the modified/processed first set of customer data, where thereply includes a first set of product data. In an embodiment of thepresent subject matter, the sales center may not receive a reply whichincludes a first set of product data at which point the process may jumpback to block 310 (not shown for sake of clarity) or block 328 (notshown for clarity) and continue the process. If the sales centerdetermines that the received replies include first product data, thesales center informs/sends to the customer the first set of product dataprocessed as necessary using a microprocessor. At block 333, thecustomer determines if he/she would like to continue the process throughan offline channel (shown as continuing to block 334) or continuethrough an online channel (shown as continuing to block 322).

If the customer opts to continue the process using an offline channel,such as the telephone channel, at block 334 the sales center continuesthe process described above via the offline channel. If the customeropts to continue the process using an online channel, the processcontinues at block 322 to FIG. 3A. In FIG. 3A, at block 314, thebusiness receives, via the first computer interface, a product choiceand a second set of customer data regarding the product choice from thecustomer in response to the first product data. The process thencontinues on to block 315 in FIG. 3A, as described above.

Referring again to FIG. 3A, in an embodiment of the present subjectmatter, the business, upon receiving the first set of information fromthe customer at block 301, at block 302 the business determines if thecustomer is an existing online client of the business. If the customeris an existing online client of the business, then the customer willhave credentials with the business which will enable the customer tostop and restart the process in FIGS. 3A through 3C without losing anydata, so long as the first set of information from the customer can beverified by the business. At block 303, the business determines if thecustomer is not an existing online client of the business or if thefirst set of information received from the customer cannot be verifiedby the business. Additionally, the business determines if the customeris an existing offline client of the business. At block 304, if thecustomer is not an online client of the business but is an offlineclient of the business, and the first set of information from thecustomer can be verified by the business, the business establishescustomer credentials which will enable the customer to stop and restartthe process in FIGS. 3A through 3C without losing any data. If thecustomer is neither an online or offline client of the business or ifthe first set of information from the customer cannot be verified, thebusiness flags the customer as a pending customer. The process thencontinues to block 305, as described above.

Considering now FIGS. 4A through 4C, flow diagrams are presented for amethod for an online agency including methods for providing informationfrom a predetermined plurality of competing businesses to a customer forassisting the customer in choosing a product and/or service from one ofthe competing businesses, according to embodiments of the disclosure. InFIG. 4A, at block 401 an online-capable business or agency receives afirst set of information (as described above) from the customer wherethe first set of information is received via a first computer interfacecommunicating with the customer over a computer network. At block 405,the agency determines, using a microprocessor, a second set ofinformation based at least in part on the received first set ofinformation and on data required by at least one of the predeterminedplurality of competing businesses. At block 406, the agency provides asecond set of information (as described above) to the customer via thefirst computer interface where the second set of information is based onthe received first set of information. At block 407, the agency receivesa first set of customer data regarding a product/service in which thecustomer is interested in receiving information about, purchasing, orservicing. At block 408, the agency processes, as described above, usinga microprocessor (which may be, but is not necessarily, the samemicroprocessor used in block 405—the same is true for othermicroprocessors recited herein), the received first set of customer dataas necessary. In an embodiment of the present subject matter, theprocessing of the first set of customer data includes performing apre-approval determination of the customer for a cross-sell product orservice. At block 409 the agency sends the first customer data and/orthe processed first customer data to one or more of the predeterminedplurality of competing businesses via a second computer interface. Atblock 410, the agency receives, via the second computer interface, areply from at least one of the predetermined plurality of competingbusinesses in response to the first customer data and/or the processedfirst customer data. At block 411, the agency processes, using amicroprocessor, the received replies which includes organizing thereplies into predetermined categories to thereby form the first productdata. As a non-limiting example, the predetermined categories may beinsurance coverage amounts for each person involved in an automobileaccident and may also include a total insurance amount per accident. Forexample, a first category may be $50,000 coverage per person and$100,000 coverage per accident. A second category may be $100,000coverage per person and $100,000 coverage per accident. A third categorymay be $250,000 coverage per person and $500,000 coverage per accident.Since each of the predetermined plurality of competing businesses mayoffer different coverage levels, the agency attempts to fit the coveragelevels offered by the businesses into broad categories thereby making iteasier on the customer in deciding which insurance package to purchase.One of skill in the art will readily understand that there are manyvariables involved with the packages offered by each of thepredetermined plurality of competing businesses and furthermore thatthere are additional variables the agency must take into account inattempting to present to the customer a similar package from each of thepredetermined plurality of competing businesses. Thus, the customer willbe in a better position to make an informed comparison between theoffered products/services.

Continuing with block 411, if the agency can organize the receivedreplies into the predetermined categories, then at block 414, the agencythen sends, via the first computer interface, the first product dataand/or the processed first product data to the customer. At block 415,the agency receives, via the first computer interface, a product choiceand a second set of customer data (as described above) regarding theproduct choice from the customer in response to the first product data.At block 416, the agency processes, as necessary using a microprocessor,the second set of customer data. At block 417, the agency sends, via thesecond computer interface, the second set of customer data and/or theprocessed second set of customer data to one of the predeterminedplurality of competing businesses associated with the product choice. Atblock 418, the agency receives, via the second computer interface, asecond set of product data (as described above) from the one businessassociated with the product choice, where the second set of product datais received in response to the second set of customer data and/or theprocessed second set of customer data. At block 419, the agencyprocesses, as necessary using a microprocessor, the second set ofproduct data. At block 420, the agency sends to the customer, via thefirst computer interface, the second set of product data and/or theprocessed second set of product data. Thus, the agency has provided tothe customer information from the predetermined plurality of competingbusinesses regarding a product/service that the customer is interestedin where the information will assist the customer in choosing aproduct/service desired by the customer. Additionally, the above processcan be used to provide information to the customer regarding aproduct/service that the customer is interested in where the informationwill assist the customer in choosing a follow-on service for apreviously-purchased product/service.

Optionally, according to certain embodiments of the present subjectmatter, the process may continue at block 421 to FIG. 4C. In FIG. 4C, atblock 437, the agency receives from the customer, via the first computerinterface, an acceptance of the second set of product data where theacceptance includes customer payment information for the acceptedproduct/service. At block 438, the agency sends to the businessproviding the accepted product/service, via the second computerinterface, an indication of the receipt of the customer paymentinformation from the customer. At block 439, the agency sends to thecustomer, via the first computer interface, an indication of purchase ofthe product choice (as described above). In an embodiment of the presentsubject matter, the indication of purchase of the product choiceincludes an insurance identification card. Thus, the agency has providedto the customer information from the predetermined plurality ofcompeting businesses from which the customer has purchased aproduct/service desired by the customer. Additionally, the above processcan be used to provide information to the customer from which thecustomer has purchased a follow-on service for a previously-purchasedproduct/service.

Optionally, according to certain embodiments of the present subjectmatter, the process may continue at block 440 where the agency sets upan account for the customer with the agency and at block 441 where theagency provides, via the first computer interface, product informationto the customer based on the product choice. The product information mayinclude, but is not limited to, payment reminders, payment deadlines,renewal reminders, renewal deadlines, renewal information, cross-sellopportunities, up-sell opportunities, or combinations thereof. Incertain embodiments, the product choice includes a choice of service foran existing policy, such as, but not limited to, a view policy summary,a view policy document, make a payment, add/remove a vehicle (or otherproperty) from a policy, add/remove a driver, receive targeted crosssell offers, etc.

Referring now to FIGS. 4A and 4B, at block 411 of FIG. 4A, inembodiments of the present subject matter, if the agency determines thatthe received replies cannot be organized into the predeterminedcategories, the process may be continued at blocks 412 or 413, asdescribed below. For one embodiment of the present subject matter, theprocess continues at block 412 to FIG. 4B. In FIG. 4B, at block 425, thebusiness sends to the customer, via the first computer interface, anotification to submit a third set of customer data since the agencycannot organize the replies from the predetermined plurality ofcompeting businesses based on the input received up to this point by theagency from the customer. At block 426, the agency receives from thecustomer, via the first computer interface, a third set of customer dataregarding the product/service desired by the customer. The agency mayprocess the third set of customer data, as necessary using amicroprocessor. At block 427, the business sends the third set ofcustomer data and/or the processed third set of customer data to thepredetermined plurality of competing businesses via the second computerinterface. At block 428, the agency receives, via the second computerinterface, new replies from the predetermined plurality of competingbusinesses in response to the third customer data and/or the processedthird customer data, where the reply includes a first set of productdata. In an embodiment of the present subject matter, the agency may notreceive replies which are capable of being organized into categories asdescribed above for block 411 at which point the process may jump backto block 411 (not shown for sake of clarity). Continuing with theprocess in FIG. 4B where the reply from the predetermined plurality ofcompeting businesses can be organized into predetermined categories bythe agency, at block 422 the process continues as shown in FIG. 4A.

Referring again to block 411 of FIG. 4A, in embodiments of the presentsubject matter, if the agency determines that the received repliescannot be organized into the agency's predetermined categories, theprocess may be continued at block 413, as described below. For oneembodiment of the present subject matter, the process continues at block413 to FIG. 4B. In FIG. 4B, at block 429, the agency receives, at acustomer contact sales center of the business, a telephone call from thecustomer. At block 430, the agency, via the sales center, recommends tothe customer changes to the first set of customer data. Therecommendation is based on the agency's knowledge of the requirementsand other particulars (including, but not limited to insurance coveragelevels, deductible amounts, etc.) of the predetermined plurality ofcompeting businesses. At block 431, the customer determines if he/shewould like to continue the process through an online channel (shown ascontinuing to block 424) or continue through an offline channel such asthe telephone channel (shown as continuing to block 432).

If the customer opts to continue the process through an online channel,the process continues at block 424 to FIG. 4A. In FIG. 4A, at block 408,the agency processes, as necessary using a microprocessor as describedabove, the modified first set of customer data from the recommendationsat block 430 in FIG. 4B. The process then continues on to block 409 inFIG. 4A, as described above. If the customer opts to continue theprocess through an offline channel, such as the telephone channel, theprocess continues at block 432 in FIG. 4B. At block 432, the salescenter processes the modified first set of customer data (themodifications as recommended at block 430), described above, and sendsthe modified first set of customer data to the predetermined pluralityof competing businesses. At block 433, the sales center receives a replyfrom at least one of the predetermined plurality of competing businessesin response to the modified/processed first set of customer data, wherethe reply includes a first set of product data. In an embodiment of thepresent subject matter, the sales center may not receive replies whichare capable of being organized into predetermined categories, asdescribed above, at which point the process may jump back to block 411(not shown for sake of clarity) or block 430 (not shown for sake ofclarity) and continue the process. If the sales center determines thatthe received replies are capable of being organized into predeterminedcategories, the sales center informs/sends to the customer the first setof product data processed as necessary using a microprocessor. At block435, the customer determines if he/she would like to continue theprocess through an offline channel (shown as continuing to block 436) orcontinue through an online channel (shown as continuing to block 423).

If the customer opts to continue the process using an offline channel,such as the telephone channel, at block 436 the sales center continuesthe process described above via the offline channel. If the customeropts to continue the process using an online channel, the processcontinues at block 423 to FIG. 4A. In FIG. 4A, at block 415, the agencyreceives, via the first computer interface, a product choice and asecond set of customer data regarding the product choice from thecustomer in response to the first product data. The process thencontinues on to block 416 in FIG. 4A, as described above.

Referring again to FIG. 4A, in an embodiment of the present subjectmatter, the agency, upon receiving the first set of information from thecustomer at block 401, at block 402 the agency determines if thecustomer is an existing online client of the agency. If the customer isan existing online client of the agency, then the customer will havecredentials with the agency which will enable the customer to stop andrestart the process in FIGS. 4A through 4C without losing any data, solong as the first set of information from the customer can be verifiedby the agency. At block 403, the agency determines if the customer isnot an existing online client of the agency or if the first set ofinformation received from the customer cannot be verified by the agency.Additionally, the agency determines if the customer is an existingoffline client of the agency. At block 404, if the customer is not anonline client of the agency but is an offline client of the agency, andthe first set of information from the customer can be verified by theagency, the agency establishes customer credentials which will enablethe customer to stop and restart the process in FIGS. 4A through 4Cwithout losing any data. If the customer is neither an online or offlineclient of the agency or if the first set of information from thecustomer cannot be verified, the agency flags the customer as a pendingcustomer. The process then continues to block 405, as described above.

Considering now FIGS. 5A through 5D, flow diagrams are presented for amethod for an online agency including methods for providing informationfrom a predetermined plurality of competing businesses to a customer forassisting the customer in choosing a product and/or service from one ofthe competing businesses, according to embodiments of the disclosure. InFIG. 5A, at block 501 an online-capable business or agency receives afirst set of information (as described above) from the customer wherethe first set of information is received via a first computer interfacecommunicating with the customer over a computer network. At block 505,the agency determines, using a microprocessor, a second set ofinformation based at least in part on the received first set ofinformation and on data required by at least one of the predeterminedplurality of competing businesses. At block 506, the agency provides asecond set of information (as described above) to the customer via thefirst computer interface where the second set of information is based onthe received first set of information. At block 507, the agency receivesa first set of customer data regarding a product/service in which thecustomer is interested in receiving information about, purchasing, orservicing. At block 508, the agency processes, as described above, usinga microprocessor (which may be, but is not necessarily, the samemicroprocessor used in block 505—the same is true for othermicroprocessors recited herein), the received first set of customer dataas necessary. In an embodiment of the present subject matter, theprocessing of the first set of customer data includes performing apre-approval determination of the customer for a cross-sell product orservice. At block 509 the agency sends the first customer data and/orthe processed first customer data to one or more of the predeterminedplurality of competing businesses via a second computer interface. Atblock 510, the agency receives, via the second computer interface, areply from at least one of the predetermined plurality of competingbusinesses in response to the first customer data and/or the processedfirst customer data. At block 511, the agency processes, using amicroprocessor, the received replies which includes organizing thereplies into predetermined categories to thereby form the first productdata. As a non-limiting example, the predetermined categories may beinsurance coverage amounts for each person involved in an automobileaccident and may also include a total insurance amount per accident. Forexample, a first category may be $50,000 coverage per person and$100,000 coverage per accident. A second category may be $100,000coverage per person and $100,000 coverage per accident. A third categorymay be $250,000 coverage per person and $500,000 coverage per accident.Since each of the predetermined plurality of competing businesses mayoffer different coverage levels, the agency attempts to fit the coveragelevels offered by the businesses into broad categories thereby making iteasier on the customer in deciding which insurance package to purchase.One of skill in the art will readily understand that there are manyvariables involved with the packages offered by each of thepredetermined plurality of competing businesses and furthermore thatthere are additional variables the agency must take into account inattempting to present to the customer a similar package from each of thepredetermined plurality of competing businesses. Thus, the customer willbe in a better position to make an informed comparison between theoffered products/services.

Continuing with block 511, if the agency can organize the receivedreplies into the predetermined categories, then at block 512 the agencydetermines from the first set of information, using a microprocessor,the intent of the customer, i.e., whether the customer intends topurchase the product/service from one of the predetermined plurality ofcompeting businesses or whether the customer intends to only obtain oneor more quotes for the product/service from the predetermined pluralityof competing businesses. This determination can simply be an indication(e.g., a radio button clicked, a pull-down menu result set by thecustomer, or any other similar indicator) in the first set ofinformation If the agency determines at block 512 that the customer'sintent is to obtain one or more quotes, then at block 513 the agencysends, via the first computer interface, the first product data and/orthe processed first product data to the customer. The process may nowend.

If at block 512 the agency determines that the customer's intent is topurchase a product/service from one of the predetermined plurality ofcompeting businesses, then the process proceeds to block 516 to FIG. 5B.In FIG. 5B, at block 518, the agency sends, via the first computerinterface, the first product data and/or the processed first productdata to the customer. At block 519, the agency receives, via the firstcomputer interface, a product choice and a second set of customer data(as described above) regarding the product choice from the customer inresponse to the first product data. At block 520, the agency processes,as necessary using a microprocessor, the second set of customer data. Atblock 521, the agency sends, via the second computer interface, thesecond set of customer data and/or the processed second set of customerdata to one of the predetermined plurality of competing businessesassociated with the product choice. At block 522, the agency receives,via the second computer interface, a second set of product data (asdescribed above) from the one business associated with the productchoice, where the second set of product data is received in response tothe second set of customer data and/or the processed second set ofcustomer data. At block 523, the agency processes, as necessary using amicroprocessor, the second set of product data. At block 524, the agencysends to the customer, via the first computer interface, the second setof product data and/or the processed second set of product data. Thus,the agency has provided to the customer information from thepredetermined plurality of competing businesses regarding aproduct/service that the customer is interested in where the informationwill assist the customer in choosing a product/service desired by thecustomer. Additionally, the above process can be used to provideinformation to the customer regarding a product/service that thecustomer is interested in where the information will assist the customerin choosing a follow-on service for a previously-purchasedproduct/service.

Optionally, according to certain embodiments of the present subjectmatter, the process may continue at block 525 to FIG. 5D. In FIG. 5D, atblock 540, the agency receives from the customer, via the first computerinterface, an acceptance of the second set of product data where theacceptance includes customer payment information for the acceptedproduct/service. At block 541, the agency sends to the businessproviding the accepted product/service, via the second computerinterface, an indication of the receipt of the customer paymentinformation from the customer. At block 542, the agency sends to thecustomer, via the first computer interface, an indication of purchase ofthe product choice (as described above). In an embodiment of the presentsubject matter, the indication of purchase of the product choiceincludes an insurance identification card. Thus, the agency has providedto the customer information from the predetermined plurality ofcompeting businesses from which the customer has purchased aproduct/service desired by the customer. Additionally, the above processcan be used to provide information to the customer from which thecustomer has purchased a follow-on service for a previously-purchasedproduct/service.

Optionally, according to certain embodiments of the present subjectmatter, the process may continue at block 543 where the agency sets upan account for the customer with the agency and at block 544 where theagency provides, via the first computer interface, product informationto the customer based on the product choice. The product information mayinclude, but is not limited to, payment reminders, payment deadlines,renewal reminders, renewal deadlines, renewal information, cross-sellopportunities, up-sell opportunities, or combinations thereof. Incertain embodiments, the product choice includes a choice of service foran existing policy, such as, but not limited to, a view policy summary,a view policy document, make a payment, add/remove a vehicle (or otherproperty) from a policy, add/remove a driver, receive targeted crosssell offers, etc.

Referring now to FIGS. 5A through 5C, at block 511 of FIG. 5A, inembodiments of the present subject matter, if the agency determines thatthe received replies cannot be organized into the predeterminedcategories, the process may be continued at blocks 514 or 515, asdescribed below. For one embodiment of the present subject matter, theprocess continues at block 514 to FIG. 5C. In FIG. 5C, at block 528, thebusiness sends to the customer, via the first computer interface, anotification to submit a third set of customer data since the agencycannot organize the replies from the predetermined plurality ofcompeting businesses based on the input received up to this point by theagency from the customer. At block 529, the agency receives from thecustomer, via the first computer interface, a third set of customer dataregarding the product/service desired by the customer. The agency mayprocess the third set of customer data, as necessary using amicroprocessor. At block 530, the business sends the third set ofcustomer data and/or the processed third set of customer data to thepredetermined plurality of competing businesses via the second computerinterface. At block 531, the agency receives, via the second computerinterface, new replies from the predetermined plurality of competingbusinesses in response to the third customer data and/or the processedthird customer data, where the reply includes a first set of productdata. In an embodiment of the present subject matter, the agency may notreceive replies which are capable of being organized into categories asdescribed above for block 511 at which point the process may jump backto block 511 (not shown for sake of clarity). Continuing with theprocess in FIG. 5C where the reply from the predetermined plurality ofcompeting businesses can be organized into predetermined categories bythe agency, at block 526 the process continues as shown in FIG. 5B.

Referring again to block 511 of FIG. 5A, in embodiments of the presentsubject matter, if the agency determines that the received repliescannot be organized into the agency's predetermined categories, theprocess may be continued at block 515, as described below. For oneembodiment of the present subject matter, the process continues at block515 to FIG. 5C. In FIG. 5C, at block 532, the agency receives, at acustomer contact sales center of the business, a telephone call from thecustomer. At block 533, the agency, via the sales center, recommends tothe customer changes to the first set of customer data. Therecommendation is based on the agency's knowledge of the requirementsand other particulars (including, but not limited to insurance coveragelevels, deductible amounts, etc.) of the predetermined plurality ofcompeting businesses. At block 534, the customer determines if he/shewould like to continue the process through an online channel (shown ascontinuing to block 517) or continue through an offline channel such asthe telephone channel (shown as continuing to block 535).

If the customer opts to continue the process through an online channel,the process continues at block 517 to FIG. 5A. In FIG. 5A, at block 508,the agency processes, as necessary using a microprocessor as describedabove, the modified first set of customer data from the recommendationsat block 533 in FIG. 5C. The process then continues on to block 509 inFIG. 5A, as described above. If the customer opts to continue theprocess through an offline channel, such as the telephone channel, theprocess continues at block 535 in FIG. 5C. At block 535, the salescenter processes the modified first set of customer data (themodifications as recommended at block 533), described above, and sendsthe modified first set of customer data to the predetermined pluralityof competing businesses. At block 536, the sales center receives a replyfrom at least one of the predetermined plurality of competing businessesin response to the modified/processed first set of customer data, wherethe reply includes a first set of product data. In an embodiment of thepresent subject matter, the sales center may not receive replies whichare capable of being organized into predetermined categories, asdescribed above, at which point the process may jump back to block 511(not shown for sake of clarity) or block 533 (not shown for sake ofclarity) and continue the process. If the sales center determines thatthe received replies are capable of being organized into predeterminedcategories, the sales center informs/sends to the customer the first setof product data processed as necessary using a microprocessor. At block538, the customer determines if he/she would like to continue theprocess through an offline channel (shown as continuing to block 539) orcontinue through an online channel (shown as continuing to block 527).

If the customer opts to continue the process using an offline channel,such as the telephone channel, at block 539 the sales center continuesthe process described above via the offline channel If the customer optsto continue the process using an online channel, the process continuesat block 527 to FIG. 5B. In FIG. 5B, at block 519, the agency receives,via the first computer interface, a product choice and a second set ofcustomer data regarding the product choice from the customer in responseto the first product data. The process then continues on to block 520 inFIG. 5B, as described above.

Referring again to FIG. 5A, in an embodiment of the present subjectmatter, the agency, upon receiving the first set of information from thecustomer at block 501, at block 502 the agency determines if thecustomer is an existing online client of the agency. If the customer isan existing online client of the agency, then the customer will havecredentials with the agency which will enable the customer to stop andrestart the process in FIGS. 5A through 5D without losing any data, solong as the first set of information from the customer can be verifiedby the agency. At block 503, the agency determines if the customer isnot an existing online client of the agency or if the first set ofinformation received from the customer cannot be verified by the agency.Additionally, the agency determines if the customer is an existingoffline client of the agency. At block 504, if the customer is not anonline client of the agency but is an offline client of the agency, andthe first set of information from the customer can be verified by theagency, the agency establishes customer credentials which will enablethe customer to stop and restart the process in FIGS. 5A through 5Dwithout losing any data. If the customer is neither an online or offlineclient of the agency or if the first set of information from thecustomer cannot be verified, the agency flags the customer as a pendingcustomer. The process then continues to block 505, as described above.

While preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have beendescribed, it is to be understood that the embodiments described areillustrative only and that the scope of the invention is to be definedsolely by the appended claims when accorded a full range of equivalents,many variations and modifications naturally occurring to those of skillin the art from a perusal hereof.

We claim:
 1. A method comprising the steps of: (a) receiving from acustomer a first set of information regarding a product, wherein thefirst set of information is received via a first computer interfacecommunicating with the customer over a computer network; (b)determining, using a microprocessor, a second set of information basedat least in part on the received first set of information and on datarequired by at least one of a predetermined plurality of competingbusinesses, wherein each one of the plural businesses sells the product;(c) providing, via said first computer interface, the second set ofinformation to the customer; (d) receiving, via said first computerinterface, first customer data regarding said product, wherein the firstcustomer data is based at least in part on the second set ofinformation; (e) processing, using said microprocessor, the firstcustomer data; (f) sending, via a second computer interface, theprocessed first customer data to each of the plural businesses; (g)receiving, via said second computer interface, a reply from each of theplural businesses, wherein the replies are in response to the processedfirst customer data; (h) processing, using the microprocessor, thereceived replies wherein the processing includes organizing the repliesinto predetermined categories to thereby form a first product data; (i)sending, via said first computer interface, the first product data tosaid customer; (j) receiving, via said first computer interface, aproduct choice and second customer data regarding the product choicefrom the customer in response to said first product data, wherein theproduct chosen is associated with a first business of the pluralbusinesses; (k) processing, using said microprocessor, the productchoice and the second customer data to thereby form a processed secondcustomer data; (l) sending, via said second computer interface, theprocessed second customer data to the first business; (m) receiving fromthe first business, via the second computer interface, second productdata in response to the processed second customer data; (n) processing,using said microprocessor, the second product data; and (o) sending theprocessed second data, via said first computer interface, to thecustomer.
 2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of: (p)receiving from the customer an acceptance of the second product dataincluding customer payment information; (q) sending to the one productprovider an indication of receipt of the customer payment information;and (r) sending to the customer an indication of purchase of the productchoice.
 3. The method of claim 2 further comprising the steps of: (s)setting up an account for the customer with the business; and (t)providing product information to the customer based on the productchoice.
 4. The method of claim 3 wherein the product information isselected from the group consisting of: payment reminders, paymentdeadlines, renewal reminders, renewal information, cross-sellopportunities, up-sell opportunities, and combinations thereof.
 5. Themethod of claim 1 wherein the first customer data comprises insurancecoverage information.
 6. The method of claim 5 wherein the firstprocessed customer data includes a first modification to the firstcustomer data wherein the first modification is based on a firstpredetermined information for at least one of the product providers, andwherein the first product data includes an insurance quote based on thefirst processed customer data, and wherein the product choice includes aselection of an insurance quote from the one product provider, andwherein the second customer data includes specific information providedby the customer wherein the specific information is required by the oneproduct provider for the product choice, and wherein the secondprocessed customer data includes a second modification to the secondcustomer data wherein the second modification is based on a secondpredetermined information for the one product provider, and wherein thesecond product data includes insurance policy information for theproduct choice.
 7. The method of claim 1 wherein the first customer datacomprises post-purchase insurance service information.
 8. The method ofclaim 7 wherein the post-purchase insurance service information isselected from the group consisting of: a request for insurance of asecond product, a request for insurance for a third person, andcombinations thereof.
 9. The method of claim 1 wherein the step ofprocessing the first customer data includes performing a pre-approvaldetermination of the customer for a cross-sell product.
 10. The methodof claim 1 wherein the step of providing the second set of informationto the customer includes providing a template of fields of informationfor the first customer data wherein at least one field of the templateis pre-filled with information from a database.
 11. The method of claim1 further comprising the steps of: (p) determining if the customer is anonline client of the business; (q) determining a status of the customerif the customer is not a current online client of the business or ifsaid first set of information is not verified by the business, includingdetermining if the customer is an offline client of the business and ifso, presenting a first content to the customer, otherwise flagging thecustomer as a pending customer; and (r) establishing for the customercredentials which allow the customer to save a third set of informationso that the customer may later resume choosing a product via an onlinechannel, an offline channel, a telephonic channel, and combinationsthereof.
 12. The method of claim 1 wherein if the processing in step (h)is incapable of organizing any of the replies into the predeterminedcategories: (h)(i) sending to the customer a notification to submitthird customer data; (h)(ii) receiving and processing the third customerdata and sending the processed third customer data to each of the pluralbusinesses; and (h)(iii) receiving new replies from each of the pluralbusinesses to thereby form the first product data.
 13. The method ofclaim 1 wherein if the processing in step (h) is incapable of organizingany of the replies into the predetermined categories: (h)(i) receivingat a customer contact sales center a telephone call from the customer;(h)(ii) recommending to the customer changes to the first customer data;and (h)(iii) processing the first customer data and providing thecustomer with first product data.